An "anti-layoff" alliance organized by 12 labor unions petitioned the Economic Development Advisory Conference yesterday, and asked the Executive Yuan to organize a ministerial committee to solve the unemployment problem.
The 150 protesters doubted whether the conference would help ease unemployment while government officials expect it to find solutions to stimulate the sluggish economy. Among those attending the conference are Robert Tsao (曹興誠), president of the United Microelectronics Corp, and Chen Yung-cheng (陳永誠), executive editor of the Chinese-language newspaper Commercial Times, of the China Times group.
Both UMC and the China Times group have laid off a number of their employees.
"How can capitalists like Tsao, who has laid off his employees in Taiwan and is evaluating the investment environment in China, be chosen to attend the conference?" a statement released by the anti-layoff alliance asked.
Members of the alliance include laid-off employees from the China Times, Nankang Tire, Chinese Automobile, the Taiwan Shin Sheng Daily News, the Mass Communication Alliance and the Taipei chapter of the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions.
The alliance is seeking more participation from labor unions, and planning on further protests this week.
The conference did not give any official response to the petition, but Chen Chu (陳菊), chairwoman of the Council of Labor Affairs, said that they were solving the high-unemployment rate.
"The council has relaxed restrictions on applications for unemployment subsidies and is trying to offer more employment opportunities," Chen said.
In late May, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) put forward the conference idea in the hope of finding a remedy for the nation's sluggish economy. The anti-layoff alliance urged the government to follow the example of the previous KMT government at the end of 1996, when it organized a ministerial committee to solve unemployment problems.
Ironically, the discussion group on employment was the last choice for those attending the conference, who were allowed to choose which topics they would like to discuss.
Some of those attending even switched to other groups yesterday morning.
The group only has 13 attendees and none of them represent corporate interests, while other discussion groups have at least 20 attendees.
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